Candles and oil lamps have been in use since ancient times as a means of controllable, portable fire, consisting of a fuel and a wicking material to deliver the liquid fuel to the flame. They require either a container or jar of some sort to hold the liquid fuel or they must use fuel in a form that is at first solid and self-supporting, such as wax formed into a taper or a pillar, which then melts with the heat of the flame and, as before, the liquid fuel will wick its way up to the fire. In more recent years, the addition of scents and essential oils to the wax fuel, for the purpose of scenting the surrounding airspace as the scented fuel is consumed, has resulted in entirely new applications for the candle, and an entirely new industry of scenting one's home through various means. As the popularity of scenting the air in the home increased, it led to the popularity of scenting the air in vehicles, as well, although certainly not a feasible application for the candle.
From ambiance to pleasantly perfuming the surrounding area to aromatherapy, candles remain in high demand today for their variety of scents and ability to ease stress, although, true, therapeutic value aromatherapy is rarely possible with candles because the high temperature of the flame itself destroys many of the very molecules within the essential oils that provide the beneficial, therapeutic value.
As the popularity of scenting one's home and vehicle has grown, it has also become no longer necessary to use fire in the home for light and for heat, and many opt for ways to scent the home and certainly, vehicles, without the inherent danger of the flame. Candle warmers, such as but not limited to U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,839 to Palmer, which is incorporated by reference in its' entirety, have become popular in the home in this regard. They are used to heat and melt scented, solid wax cubes that contain no wick with which to feed a fire, but are instead melted to liquid form inside a dish, the heat causing the scent in the now liquid wax pool to evaporate and disperse into the surrounding air. The heat with which to melt the cube and disperse the scent, sometimes provided in the form of a light bulb, is applied to the dish of wax by the electric warmer.
The solid form of the wax cube limits the ability to select an amount of wax to melt. As one is restricted to the size of the cube, one is limited in the ability to select and control the strength of the scent released. The wax cube typically does not ‘off gas’ its aroma to an area of more than a few inches proximate when it is at room temperature in its un-melted, solid form. The cube, once melted, typically off gasses it's scent completely in a matter of hours and must be replaced. The required temperature to achieve scent dispersal by heat and the necessity of the liquid wax pool form to sufficiently release the scent inhibit one's ability to take favorite scents on the road, in their vehicles.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.